Carcass cleaning systems for automated or semi-automated cleaning of chicken, turkey, pig, hog, cattle, and other animal carcasses have been in use for many years. A long-standing practice of cleaning many types of animal carcasses is to convey such carcasses into and out of a dip tank containing cleaning fluid. In the interests of insuring that cleaning systems using such dip tanks continue to properly clean carcasses dipped therein, conventional practice is to drain such dip tanks after a period of time or after a threshold number of carcasses have been dipped, and then to re-fill such dip tanks with new cleaning fluid.
However, the opportunity to operate cleaning systems using these dip tanks after the cleaning fluid has become unacceptably dirty still exists. The likelihood of operating dip tanks after cleaning fluid has become unacceptably dirty is increased by the operating costs of such systems. For example, the costs of disposing cleaning fluid in dip tanks, and then replacing the disposed fluid with new cleaning fluid can represent a large portion of the operating costs of a carcass cleaning system. Therefore, incentives inherently exist for operators of such systems to delay the replacement of cleaning fluid in carcass cleaning dip tanks, resulting in a greater potential for cleaned carcasses failing to meet heath and safety standards.
Accordingly, in light of these and other challenges regarding the design and operation or conventional carcass cleaning systems, improved carcass cleaning systems continue to be welcome in the art.